Green-corn fork.



PATENTED FER-25, 1908.

G. W. RUGGLES.

GREEN CORN FORK.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 13' 1 907.

I'n've-nta-r:

J7 liteet: 04. cm Wwm 1241 14 a mu: PETER-S 6a.. WASHINGTON, u. c.

UNITED STATES GEORGE W. RUGGLES, OF CHARLOTTE, NEW YORK.

GREEN-CORN FORK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 25, 1908.

Application filed fieptember 13. 1907. Serial No. 392.700.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE IV. RUceLEs, of Charlotte, in the county ofMonroe and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvementin Green-Corn Forks, which improvement is fully set forth in thefollowing specification and shown in the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to improvements in implements for table use, and itbelongs to the class of devices employed for conveying food to the mouthin the act of eating.

The invention is a combined fork and spoon, of novel form andconstruction, designed more particularly for readily and convenientlytaking the kernels from an ear of boiled or roasted green corn insuitable quantities and safely conveying them to the mouth.

In common practice the kernels of cooked green corn are taken from theear by biting them off or by cutting them from the cob with an ordinarytable knife both of which methods being objectionable andunsatisfactory. Biting the kernels of corn from the cob is primitive,and it is otherwise objectionable, frequently on account of thecondition of the front teeth, and also from uncleanliness on account ofthe unseemly smearing of the lips and the mustache. Cutting the kernelsfrom the cob with a knife is also unsatisfactory from the fact that theknife, being straight, must touch the surface of the cob tangentiallyand thus while cut ting the kernels of the row at the middle of the cutproperly from the cob the kernels in the rows at either side of themiddle row are out through at the middle or otherwise undesirablyhaggled or sliced.

To avoid these objections and difficulties and to provide an implementfor satisfactorily lifting the kernels cleanly from the cob and in awhole or undivided state andwith out Waste is the main object of thisinven tion the implement being, in a sense, a spoon with the bowllongitudinally divided to form tines similar to those of a table fork.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be brought out andmade to appear in the following description, and particularly pointedout in the appended claims,

reference being had to the accompanying drawing which, with thereference numerals marked thereon, forms a part of this specification.

In the drawing Figure 1 is a plan of the device. Fig. 2 is a sideelevation seen as indicated by 'arrow a in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan ofthe back or reverse side of the device. Fig. 4 is a transverse sectionon the dotted line in Fig. 1.

Referring to the parts shown, 1 is the head or bowl of the implement,and 2 the handle. The head or bowl is longitudinally divided to form aseries of tines 3, there being also at the outer sides of the twooutside tines thin raised side portions 4 higher than the tines, forsafely holding and conveying the kernels separated from the cob, afterthe manner of a spoon. This implement is made of suitable metal, thetines being triangular in cross section and all three of the sides orfaces of each being concave, as appears in Fig. 4. The up per sides orfaces of the tines are sharply concaved, or transversely curved to ashort radius, which gives the tines sharp cutting edges near the cobwhich edges are tapered laterally, as appears in Figs. 1 and 3, thetaper being preferably along circular or curved lines, as shown.

The back or under surface 5 of the. bowl 1 is concaved transversely, asappears in Figs. 3 and 4, giving to the bowl a form to coincide with orfit the convex surface of the cob, represented by the dotted circularare 6. The bowl is also slightly curved longitudinally, as appears inFig. 2, the convex side being beneath, to admit of a sh ht longitudinalrocking or tilting of the for: on the cob. This aids in the matter ofproperly running or forcing the tines under the kernels as the fork isadvanced at intervals in taking the kernels, enough being taken at eachadvance movement to substantially fill the bowl.

In using this device it is taken in the right hand, the stem of the earof corn being taken in the left, the axes of the ear and the fork beingin a plane. The points of the tines are inserted under the kernels atthe point or small end of the ear and the fork pushed longitudinallytoward the stem until the bowl is filled. The kernels in three adjacentrows are commonly taken together the back surfaces of the tines restingagainst the cob and removing the kernels cleanly therefrom, the highsides 4 serving to hold them like the bowl of a spoon.

What 1 claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patentis 1. A green corn fork having a handle and a bowl at one end thereofdivided longitudinally, with its under face curved transversely,

said bowl being curved longitudinally and provided with tines extendingthroughout the length of the transverselycurved portion of the bowl,each of said tines being triangular in cross section With two of thesides of each concave 2. A green corn fork, having a part to be held inthe hand and a series of tines at one end thereof triangular in crosssection, the three faces of each tine being concave.

3. A green corn fork having a handle and a bowl having a concave lowersurface, said bowl being longitudinally divided forming tines extendingthroughout the length of the concave portion, said tines being eachtrian- 15 my hand this 12th day of September, 1907, 20

in the presence of tWo subscribing Witnesses.

GEORGE W. RUGGLES.

WVitnesses E. B. VVHITMORE, 'A. M. WHITMORE.

